The void outside the Intergalactic University shimmered, crackling with energy from unseen cosmic titans. Holo-screens displayed constant updates: worlds collapsing, star systems destabilizing, and power readings that dwarfed anything the squad had faced before.
Astro adjusted his shadow-light aura, eyes narrowing. "Yo… mfana… we just barely survived hell. Now? Lowkey, feels like universe just pressed reset on insanity."
Tenji's golden fists glowed, aura sparking. "Bruh… Big dawg ready to flex, but lowkey… even I feel the weight. These mfers aren't just strong they bend reality."
Hunter's Omni-Grid flickered violently. "Dawg… sensors off the charts. These enemies? Not just physical. Mental, temporal, emotional… everything at once."
Phantom's shadows writhed, forming multiple autonomous clones. "Lowkey… mfana, we better be ready. Or get erased."
Emergence of New Villains
The first of the new cosmic threats appeared: Zerathion, multi-dimensional and impossible to track. Reality warped around him; spatial planes overlapped, creating paradoxical battlefields.
Nyxara appeared, shadows and light folding around her like living armor.
Kryvos, the energy-absorbing beast, stomped planets into dust before even engaging.
Astro muttered: "Yo… mfana… universe serious now. This ain't casual."
Lyara hovered close, aura calm but tense. "Dawg… remember the trials. These enemies? Designed to crush minds, not just bodies. Focus."
Combat Begins
The squad stepped forward, testing their evolved powers against the cosmic horrors:
Astro: blended shadows and light, creating infinite clones and predictive strikes. He barely dodged Zerathion's multi-dimensional assaults, feeling mental pressure like 100,000 years compressed into seconds.
Tenji: golden fists shattered paradoxical terrain, each blow triggering shockwaves that distorted local gravity. Still, Zerathion's attacks predicted his reactions, forcing Tenji to rethink combat instinct vs raw power.
Hunter: Omni-Grid synced with instinct, predicting emotional and tactical intent of foes, but still struggling against multi-timeline attack patterns.
Phantom: clones acted autonomously across temporal slices, but maintaining control drained his soul as illusions and real enemies intertwined.
Despite their evolved powers, the squad struggled to keep up. Every strike forced them to push past mental and physical limits.
Psychological Strain
The arena warped into impossible configurations, each step a test of mind and body:
Astro confronted infinite future versions of himself, some failing catastrophically.
Tenji felt centuries of pain from every strike, every failed punch amplified.
Hunter processed endless attack permutations, nearly fracturing under data overload.
Phantom witnessed multiple temporal versions of his friends die repeatedly.
Lyara's voice cut through the chaos: "Dawg… don't rely just on power. Mind, instinct, strategy… survival now depends on all three."
The Need for Evolution
Astro whispered to the group: "Yo… mfana… powers evolved, but universe still laughing at us. We need more."
Astro considered unlocking deeper shadow-light integration, allowing simultaneous manipulation of multiple temporal threads.
Tenji realized shockwaves alone won't cut it, needing aura harmonization with environmental energy.
Hunter pondered upgrading Omni-Grid, linking prediction to universal probability fields.
Phantom knew Infinite Mirage Network needed autonomy plus direct psychic influence.
The squad barely survived, learning that evolution isn't optional it's mandatory.
Foreshadowing Greater Trials
Zerathion, Nyxara, and Kryvos were not their only threats; stronger entities watched, calculating.
Humans, though despised, showed potential unmatched in the universe.
Lyara reminded Astro: "Dawg… the first psychological trial? Just warm-up. Universe won't stop. Prepare for mental collapse, physical annihilation, and moral quandaries. All designed to push humans past their limit."
Astro smirked through exhaustion. "Yo… mfana… next level. Universe better be ready."
Tenji grinned, aura sparking: "Bruh… Big dawg evolving again. Bring it."
Hunter and Phantom nodded, shadows and grids flickering. They survived hell but the universe had only just begun testing them.